1 Cor 11:4
Iver Larsen
iver_larsen at sil.org
Sat Sep 7 03:34:27 EDT 2002
>
> My question is more specifically to verse 4 (pertaining to the
> man) and just what are reasonable boundaries of translating the phrase.
>
> Thank you
> Greg Miller
> > My question is regarding 1 Cor 11:4. I want to understand
> > exactly what is
> > meant by "having his head covered" KATA KEFALHS ECWN. I have heard
> > explainations of "covered" ranging from a kippa on the head, to a veil
> > hanging down the head.
Most English translations say "with his head covered", and this suggests the
reasonable boundary IMO. There is no object specified. A kippa is
questionable, since it only covers the top of the head, and does not make
contextual sense anyway. A veil is better but still somewhat questionable,
since in modern culture a veil normally covers the face or the whole head
except the eyes, and the comparable image of the long hair of a woman does
not cover her face.
In order to understand what is meant, one has to go beyond the mere words
and look at cultural issues of the day as Wallace does to some degree in his
useful article. One also has too look at the whole section, especially v.
10. One thing is what it meant to the original audience and in the mind of
Paul, and quite another thing how it is best applied today in a different
culture. Wallace addresses both questions. The issue is one of symbolic
actions and those often do not communicate well cross-culturally. I am
working with a translation of the Bible into a language where the symbolic
action of "beating one's breast" clearly communicates that the one doing so
considers himself a hero, stronger than everybody else around.
Iver Larsen
More information about the B-Greek
mailing list